Pretty Little Liars Recap: Mommy Fearest

Ezra handed his manuscript over to Aria, suggesting that it contained an answer she was looking for, and it turns out he thinks “A” is actually Alison’s mom! Normally, I’d advise the girls to ignore anything Ezra tells them — he’s a pedophile, etc. — but considering he’s been stalking their every move for years, I feel like he might be on to something.

We did see her creeping in Spencer’s room at the end of the episode, after all — and nobody creeps like “A”! Plus, “A” was seen putting the finishing touches on a wedding dress, and who just so happens to be hosting a charity bridal expo next week?

I’ll give you one guess; her name rhymes with “Shmalison’s Mom.”

BETTER THAN EZRA | I might be in the minority here, but I loved every minute of Aria and Riley’s weekend fling. Not only does Lucy Hale have crazy chemistry with Nick Roux — I’m pretty sure I got pregnant just watching that bedroom scene — but oh boy, did Aria need this. I also love that he gave her a free “Beat Up A Jerk” pass. She needs that even more. Seriously, nothing gave me greater pleasure than watching Aria scream at Ezra and tell him to get out of her life forever. (We all know he won’t, but she put in a solid effort.)

DIGGING UP THE PAST | Spencer returned from her three-day rehab stint — which I would have loved to see, so I’m kind of disappointed it all happened off-screen — only to discover that withdrawal is the least of her worries. Having “mean Dean” (The Vampire Diaries‘ Nate Buzolic) as her new sober coach made life in Rosewood easier for her, but things got dicey when she suddenly remembered beating Ali with a shovel the night she went missing. We never figured out whether or not Spencer actually did that, but we all know Alison didn’t die… so what’s the big deal?

DATE DISASTER | As always, Hanna spent the hour juggling the men in her life. While Gabe tried to get to the bottom of last week’s mysterious Ali note, Travis tried to get to the bottom… of Hanna. Sadly, Travis and Hanna’s first date was cut short — he even offered to pay — due to an emergency S.O.S. meeting at Emily’s. Travis looked really disappointed, but not as disappointed as he’s going to be when Caleb returns to Rosewood. (Come on, you know that has to happen eventually.)

THE SPY WHO LOVED MIKE | Tired of putting up with Paige’s nonsense, Emily shifted her focus to Mona this week, with surprising results. According to Mo, she figured out what Ezra was up to a while ago, then agreed to date Mike — and spy on Aria — in order to have Ezra remove portions about her from his book. (Now that Mike’s single, does this mean he’s going to disappear into the basement for another six months? Aria can’t afford to lose any more family members!)

Pretty Little Liars fans, do you think Ali’s mom is really “A,” or is Ezra trying to throw the girls off his trail? Should Emily dump Paige over that note? And how bummed are you that Riley was only on the show for one episode? Hit up the comments with your thoughts and theories.